Now that Autumn is underway in France, the first of the Black Burgundy Autumn truffles are coming on to the market. Their season runs from October for a few weeks. This truffle has got a far more distinctive aroma than the summer truffles. The simplest way of eating these truffles is on any dish which has a delicate flavour as the truffles have a distinctive and strong taste. It is served thinly sliced in dishes such as pastas and eggs but can also be served on some home made bread, lightly toasted and spread with French butter. I have received my first stock in Cape Town today and they smell amazing. The truffles weigh roughly 20 – 30 g each. The price is R158 per 10g. Please let me know if you want to have some put aside for you.

I have also received a good stock of fresh mushrooms from Europe, the golden chanterelles, Trompette du Mort and the Pied de Mouton. Each type has its own distinctive flavour and aroma, if you have not already tried them then I can highly recommend them to you. The easiest way to cook them is in a pan in melted butter with a little fresh cut herbs. Their prices range from R89 to 105 per 100g. Do let me know if you wish to pre-order some.

I unwrapped our new Cantalet – the small 10 kg wheel of Cantal Entre Deux, when I cut into the cheese the aroma of the cheese rose up and promised an amazing flavour. It is in perfect condition, the centre has a golden buttercup colour and crumbly texture of the cheese has a dense, slightly tart flavour. Try it with some of our home made onion confit.

I have managed to find some very good locally made, saucisson sec style sausages. They are nice and fat and weigh about 200g each. The traditional one has a good taste of garlic. I also have some local saucisson sec made from Wild Boar which has a stronger flavour. These wild boar come from Paarl, they were brought into the country to protect the vines from the moth larvae that attack the roots. Since then the wild boars have been roaming and breeding around the Welligton, Picketberg and Paarl area. These saucisson sec go well with the crisp French gherkins.

One of the important elements that I find in simple country recipes is the taste of the core ingredients. When these ingredients are plants that are well suited to a particular soil type or environment they will thrive and have a great taste. Most country dishes taste great because the local ingredients grow in abundance so their produce makes great tasting meals. One such simple dish is Pasta with a homemade Pesto sauce. A fresh basil pesto is one of the easiest sauces to produce if you have the right ingredients. Basil thrives in this area and the flavour is excellent. Another key ingredient is the French Market’s 18 month matured Parmigiano Reggiano which adds a beautiful depth of flavour and the third is pine nuts which add a delicious tang.If you cannot find pine nuts then use almonds. Mixing this sauce with a simple plate of pasta creates a dish full of flavour. I suggest serving this dish with a glass of rose from Provence such as Triennes rose. See the recipe below.

I hope that you have a good weekend and look forward to seeing you again soon

Dear French Market shoppers,
With all the hype over the Rugby World Cup, I raced back from the shop on Saturday and sat enthralled with good friends, whilst tucking into a platter of French pates and cheese and watched with bated breath as ZA stormed in to take on the Japanese. As with all the rest of S Africa I watched incredulously the Boks defeat. Japan certainly deserved to win and I can only hope that the Boks play better this weekend. Luckily I also support France and my enthusiasm in the Rugby World Cup was renewed as the “Bleus” played well and gained a bonus point. I am sure we will all be hoping the Boks wake up for their next match on Saturday.

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Today is Heritage day and I wish to share with you how my particular heritage has placed me on the path that led to the creation of the French Market and exactly what it means to me. My family originate in the French Swiss part of the Jura around the 1400s, in the 1700s some of our line moved across to France and later on down to Cuba where several generations were born. My French grandmother was raised in Haiti. With the collapse of the sugar market my father and grandparents decided to return to Europe and settled in Devonshire. I was sent to school near Brussels to improve my French and also spent a lot of time with our French family. As a result I inherited a taste for the wonderful food that is produced in France, not just the amazing cheeses but also products from the different regions such as Provence, the Ardeche, the Jura, each one has such specific flavours. It is not surprising that the French are so proud of their wonderful food as each ingredient has been nurtured to bring out its full flavour.

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After moving to Cape Town I was not able to source the cheeses and foods I was used to. Therefore I decided 9 years ago to source these products and sell them at a market just like as one does in France because I reckoned that I was not the only one looking for these specialities. As most of you know the French Market business has developed from there with the opening of our shop in the Gardens shopping centre over 2 years ago and now with our French Market shop in Johannesburg at Patisserie de Paris which is owned by Paul Zwick who comes from German heritage.

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By coincidence in the same year that my grandparents migrated back north, Paul’s grandfather was migrating south from Forst (Lausitz) in Brandenberg on the German / Polish border to come and work in the Cape for KWV as a winemaker. I think Paul inherited his grandfather’s skills with fermentation to create his amazing sour dough baguettes.

And now my story goes on to the next generation as my younger daughter, a professional chef with years of experience in UK and USA, has returned to Cape Town and has been helping in the shop. She has enjoyed it so much, getting to know all my clients and discovering the wonderful produce that we have in the shop, that she has decided to work with me full time and help build on to my brand. At the same time she is now offering her services as a private chef to my clients and has her first booking for a lunch on Sunday which is just so exciting. Do contact me if you would like more details of her services.

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Down to more serious foodie news…Our fresh terrine and pate range is growing. This week we have received a new stock of Wild Boar and Cognac terrine. This terrine has a rich, gamey taste and lovely meaty texture. It really appeals to the guys, as it reminds them of Asterix and Obelix chasing boars and fighting the Romans. We also received a Pork and walnut terrine, this medium coarse pork terrine has chunky bits of walnuts mixed into it and tastes wonderful spread on some baguette.

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Now that everyone is coming in for picnic ingredients or gifts to take to dinner parties we find that our small sized Camembert de Normandie is most popular, the 150g size comes in its own decorated wooden box. It can handle being taken on a mountain hike and also can be given to a dinner party hostess as a thank you gift. To accompany the camembert is brut cidre from Normandie. Do remember that I still have the special offer of 3 bottles for the price of 2.

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To celebrate Heritage day Nicky (my daughter) and I decided to try a recipe which appeals to our very mixed heritage. Some of my favourite food stems from the fusion of the Mediterranean cuisine around the south of France, particularly Nice, where the abundance of anchovies from the Med, garlic, ripe tomatoes, black olives, capers mixed with pasta from Italy make a wonderful meal. I have recently started stocking anchovies in the Cape Town shop and also have capers and black olives from France. Penne aux Anchois is so simple to make all you have to do is cook all the ingredients together, boil the pasta and combine everything and Voila! You have a dish that is redolent of all the great Mediterranean flavours. I recommend pairing this with a Triennes Rose, a dry Rose from Provence made from Cinsaut grapes grown 30km inland of the Mediterranean sea. This estate is owned by the same family that owns the famous Romanee-Conti estates in Burgundy therefore the quality of the wine is of a high standing. Click here to view the recipe

I wish you a great weekend and Bokke please pull your socks up!
Regards

Tomorrow many of us will be gathering around TVs with friends to cheer on the Boks at the start of the World Cup 2015. With many of us having heritage ties to teams in Europe it is often difficult to decide who to back. However there was no doubt in the French supporters minds when I attended the 2007 World Cup in Paris, when the Boks faced the English Roses in the semi-final. In the stands around us were many noisy English fans mocking the Boks, but they went very silent when our Bokke won. After the match we went for a meal on the Champs Elysees, still in our Green and Gold colours, and many French fans came up and shook our hands in the street as they were so delighted we had beaten their “old enemy” in the semi-final. Whoever wins or loses it’s a great game and will be enjoyed by all. Don’t forget if you are entertaining at home you can feed your guests platters of French cheese and pate while you watch the games.

I attended a tasting of Lanson Champagne this week given by Emmanuel Gantet the charming Export manager for Lanson. This iconic Champagne house was founded in 1760. Their style of champagne is fresh and crisp which is achieved because they avoid using malolactic fermentation and keeps the original flavour of the grapes. Their non-vintage Black Lable is recognised as one of the most consistent in the top champagne houses and is the official champagne served at Wimbledon. If you are looking for a unique place to be married, Emmanuel told us about the small chapel in their cellars in Reims where wedding ceremonies can be performed. I think that is rather a fun idea as you can drink lots of champagne immediately after the ceremony. We are carrying a small stock of their range including half bottles at R329 which are great for a romantic cocktail for 2. Please email me if you would like more details.

New in this week are some delicious French chocolate truffles which have just arrived from Paris. They are made by the famous Mathez Chocolatier. These beautiful silver boxes contain truffle shaped chocolates finely dusted with cocoa powder. These are a great idea for a treat for yourself or as an elegant gift for a friend.

News for local residents and lovers of DeWaal park is that Tielman Haumann will be guiding a free tree walk this Sunday at 10h30 to show the major project for identification tagging of over 100 different trees. Please email Tielman at chaumann@gmail.com for more details.

White Asparagus season has arrived in the Cape and I managed to find some at Raiths shop downstairs in the Gardens centre. The short season lasts only for a few weeks and I have learnt from the past to buy some as soon as I can, as it is so popular. I tried to find some information on this Cape varietal and came across an entry in the Encyclopaedia Londinensis published in 1810 which informed me that “the Afparagus declinatus.. is a native of the Cape of Good Hope” so this plant has been established here for a long time. It is the real symbol of the start of spring growth and tastes like it. We made the most delicious creamy, fondue style sauce with some tart flavoured Cantal cheese and a dash of Kirsch (Eau de Vie from black cherries) We mopped this up with thick pieces of toast and accompanied the dish with a glass of Emmanuelle Mellot’s Pouilly Fume, as the unique flinty flavour in this sauvignon blanc wine pairs well with the earthy flavour of the asparagus. Click here to see the recipe on my website.

Please note for the public Holiday on Thursday 24th, we will be open up to 2 pm.

The renovations at the Gardens Centre have just about finished and the centre is looking all glossy and airy with lots of glass and steel finishes. On the outside the walls have been redone and painted in a contemporary design. To celebrate the completion of the new interior décor, the Gardens Centre Management launched a competition for the most interesting and decorative shop window. We took this challenge seriously and added baskets of hanging flowers to our frontage plus several other little touches. We were delighted yesterday when we were awarded the 2nd prize in the competition. The well deserving winner was our immediate neighbour, The Pause Room, who created a really beautiful decorative display. We won a bottle of bubbly from Graham Beck which we will enjoy.

This week in Cape Town, I am offering a special on the Christian Drouin Brut Cidre from Normandy. The cider is made with 30 different varieties of cider apple which grow prolifically in the Normandy region. The cider is fermented first in a steel tank then a second time in the bottle. This is a natural fermentation and no sugar, yeast or additives have been added. This light and fruity, dry sparkling cider pairs well with fish or white meat dishes, a Camembert or Pont l’Eveque cheese. For every 2 bottles purchased you get a third one for free while stocks last.

With the wonderful hot sunshine last weekend my daughter took herself on a ramble up Lion’s head with a picnic of French cheese. Sitting on top of Lion’s head she sent me pictures of Table Mountain and the spring flowers and told me it was the best picnic ever. We can easily put together picnic trays of cheese and pates for you if you are planning a picnic.

The best accompaniment to our cheese is either a baguette or a light cracker. Many of you have already tried our frozen baguettes and the delicate Doriano crackers most successfully. However I found that I have several clients who are allergic to wheat and other clients who are following a Banting diet. I have now managed to source seed biscuits which are wheat free and gluten free, they are crisp and tasty and pair beautifully with my cheeses.

Our most popular food products this week included the Vacherousse, a very creamy cheese from the Jura with a light orange crust and our matured Brie de Meaux. As this cheese ages, the light blond colour deepens until it goes a dark ivory, definitely an acquired taste. The Saucisson sec have again been flying out the door and the new Duck and green peppercorn terrine has been most appreciated because of its coarse meaty, texture and the crunchy bits of peppercorn.

Spring time in Cape Town is a season of extreme weather changes, one day we are in the upper 20 degrees and everyone rushes outdoors to bask in the glorious sunshine, take long walks on the mountain and beaches or plant seedlings in the garden ( like me). The next day it is pouring with rain and really cold and we all huddle inside again next to the fire. On one such cold evening, this last week, I felt like a tasty hot soup to warm me up.

For this week’s recipe Soupe de Betteraves au lardons avec croutons au chevre. I created a soup combining pureed beetroot, which is quite sweet, with smoky chunky bacon pieces. This combination of flavours worked very well together. To this I added croutons cut from some of my home-made bread topped with a tangy goat’s cheese which I grilled until the cheese turned golden. The flavour of the goat’s cheese changes completely after it has been toasted. Click here to view the recipe on my website.

I recommend pairing this smoky flavoured soup with a shiraz wine from Crozes Hermitage in the Cote du Rhone region which you can find at the French Market in Cape Town.

To celebrate the 1st of September, which is my personal start of Spring, I have decorated the entrance to my shop with some fresh spring blossoms including jasmine. This flower, above all others, symbolises the start of spring in Cape Town to me, once I smell that lovely perfume on the air I know the weather will start to warm up again and we can come out of hibernation. I believe it is going to be really hot and sunny in Cape Town this weekend.

I apologise to my clients in Johannesburg who came to the French Market at Blairgowrie looking for the new savoury sauces that arrived in Cape Town but took longer to get to Johannesburg than expected. (I hope they will arrive by this weekend). It is a challenge to synchronise the news release of the products as some of them arrive in Johannesburg and some in Cape Town and I have to ship it between the 2 shops. Also despite pre-ordering from France we can never be sure what will land or if it will be delayed by customs. If you wish to double check if a particular product has arrived in one of the shops do email me or send me a text or Whats app to check.

For example we have several new products coming in this weekend. Some arrive in JNB first, so the new stock of Rillettes du Mans, Saucisson Sec (flavours of Beaujolais, Noisette and beaufort) and a couple of camembert matured with calvados landed in the Johannesburg shop this evening but will only be in Cape Town by Saturday morning. Included in this consignment is a coarse textured Duck and green peppercorn terrine which many of you may remember from a few months ago. It is very tasty with a slight peppery bite.

In the opposite direction a large consignment of cheese (about 200kgs) arrived in Cape Town tonight but will only arrive in Johannesburg on Monday. We will have Comte bleu, Epoisse, Pont l Eveque, lots of delicious Brie and the new Vacherousse from the Jura, a very creamy cheese with a slight tangy orange crust. You can always ask me to put some aside for you if you are interested.

For the Cape Town shop I have received some new wines from the Jura to go with our Comte and Morbier cheeses. Due to the height of the Jura vineyards (250m- 450m) the wines are light and delicate in flavours except the vin Jaune. The AOC wines are from Domaine Grand in Passenans, a tiny village in the heart of the Jura vineyards. We have a Chardonnay 2012 (R360) and a Trousseau 2013 (R375) and the most famous of the Jura wine, the Vin Jaune 2006 (R1,050) of which I have managed to get just a couple of bottles. This sweet white wine is really unique having been aged for over 6 years, and has a dark yellow colour (hence the name its contents are uniquely 620ml instead of 750ml due to evaporation as the wine ages. We only have a liquor licence in Cape Town, if you are not resident in Cape Town but wish to order some of my wines I can email the list to you and organise to courier them to you.

Every time I eat at friends I come away with new ideas for my weekly recipes. This weekend a good French friend of mine made a beautiful lunch with lots of interesting dishes. She prepared for us a delicate creamy tomato soup. It had an interesting depth of flavour which was a complete change from traditional tomato soup. She explained to me that she added some onions and garlic which make the difference in the flavour. I created a really easy reproduction of this delicious soup. If I was in France I would have picked some of the deep red tasty tomatoes which grow in my village but as I am sitting at the end of winter in Cape Town I cheated and used a can of peeled Italian rosa tomatoes. The soup was not difficult to prepare, it took less than half an hour to make and tasted wonderful. I recommend pairing this soup with an Alphonse Mellot Sancerre, a sauvignon blanc wine from the Loire as it blends well with the taste of the tomato.

It is La Rentrée, the end of the long summer holidays in France, when all the families return to their cities because the schools, businesses and factories reopen. In fact it is almost impossible to get anything done in France during this long holiday period as the whole nation goes on annual holiday. The French Schools in Johannesburg and Cape Town reopen on the 31st of August. Today I was laughing with one of my clients, a mother of young and very active children, who said thank goodness it is La Rentree as she will be able to return her beloved offspring to the tender care of their school and get a bit of peace and quiet at home.

I have always enjoyed sharing special moments in Cape Town with my clients, whom I often bump into at these events. Last night I listened to the finest violin music that I have experienced, when Joshua Bell, a world famous American violinist, played in concert at the City Hall. He coaxed from his Stradivarius violin a sweeping range of sound from deep, rich tones to exceptional fine, high pitched notes. When he played his whole body wrapped around his exquisite violin and his bow work was so intense I felt that his violin would break because of this pressure. We were all transfixed throughout his performance and Joshua received the longest standing ovation that I have ever encountered. He then delighted us for his Encore with a light hearted rendition of Yankee Doodle. I hope he returns to our city again soon. He is playing in Johannesburg next week so if you can, try and hear him perform.

Also around our city, nature lovers in the Southern Peninsular are keeping their eyes open for endangered Cape Leopard toads as it is their breeding season and they have to cross roads and highways to reach their traditional breeding grounds. So please take care when you are driving at night.

News at the Gardens shopping centre is The Craft Beer festival is underway until Saturday. We have a stand in the centre of the new concourse area where we are enjoying chatting to clients and introducing them to lovely cheeses.

This week we have brought in some new savoury sauces. In addition to our Agrior French Mayonnaise, we have a new Solior mayonnaise sauce range which includes Sauce Bearnaise, a mayonnaise with a hint of lemon, onion, tarragon and chilly pepper, a good accompaniment for shellfish. Sauce Tartare, a traditional mayonnaise mixed with gherkins and Dijon mustard for grilled or cold fish. Sauce Bourguignonne is a tomato based mayonnaise which goes well with red meat.

Apart from our wide selection of cheeses, we have received new stock of the delicious Rillettes du Mans. Ideally this is served on lightly grilled toast as it is quite fatty but has an amazing flavour. We have also received the new stock of Clement Faugier range of chestnuts, from various sizes of Crème de Marron, (chestnut paste made with pureed chestnuts, sugar and vanilla) and Marron Puree, the natural, cooked ground chestnut without any additives. This puree can be used instead of flour to make dense textured cakes.

Our joint venture Patisserie de Paris in Johannesburg has had a great success with their tasting cheese platters. Do remember that we can also offer you platters in Cape Town for entertaining at home or outdoors now that the spring weather is starting to give us warmer days for picnics.

This week we made a delicate asparagus dish with a delicious Fondata sauce. This sauce is made my beating cheese, eggs and crème fraiche over a double boiler until it melts into a thick cheese sauce. We used Comte Vert and Emmental as both cheeses melt easily and have a delicious flavour. After cooking the asparagus, we poached eggs then poured the sauce over the eggs and asparagus. I recommend pairing this dish with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to match the flavour of the asparagus.

Did you know that France is the largest consumer of cheese per capita in Europe (25.9kg per person) beating Iceland and Finland into 2nd and 3rd place? I think this is because there are so many interesting cheeses to try, with each one having a different flavour and texture. De Gaulle’s most famous question was “How do you govern a country with more cheeses than days of the year”. In fact there are about 400 different cheese types with many variations, therefore at least a 1000 different cheeses are made in France. At our shop we cannot fit all of them in to our display counter so had to select the ones we love the most.

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We currently have cheeses from all regions of France and a couple from Italy. As we approach the summer season we expand our range. You are always welcome to check if I can procure a particular cheese for you. For instance Vacherin and Beaufort, which I will bring in later in the year. Currently I have placed an order for Camembert ripened with Calvados for a client. I expect this to arrive in a couple of weeks and will have a few extra. If you are interested in booking one please let me know.

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I have received some new terrines from Jean Brunet. This range of pates and terrines in jars are quite special as they do not contain preservatives, colourants or artificial flavours. They are individually cooked in their glass jars and can be stored at room temperature. New flavours include a terrine ofchicken livers with Armagnac, Pork with truffle juice, Terrine Bigourdane with chilli pepper and a southwest terrine with pork and capers.

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I have also received from Paris some more Lucien Georges preserves which are made in traditional copper cauldrons, there are quince and fig preserves. These have been made to accompany cheeses.

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In the alcohol range I have received the half sized bottles of Chateau Petit Guiraud Sauternes and Poire William Eau-de-Vie from Massenez. One of the most famous of the Eau-de-Vies (schnapps) Poire William is the distillation of pears and has a distinctive flavour.

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I had promised myself that one day I would make a dish with fresh truffles. Last week I managed to get hold of the last of this season’s Black Summer Truffles (Tuber Aestivum) from Italy. These delicious truffles have a season from May to August which varies according to the weather, so there is no guarantee how long the season will last. We only import the truffles as required as they have a short life, we keep them wrapped in absorbent paper, inside a sealed container otherwise the entire contents of the fridge take on the aroma. These summer truffles weigh 30g and upwards and look as dark as coal on the outside. The inside is dark brown with white veins. Whilst they have a more delicate aroma than the winter truffles, these fresh truffles still smell incredible. I decided to stuff a delicate Brie with slices of truffles, then bake it in phyllo pastry (a first time for me). Luckily my daughter could give me good advice as to handling the phyllo which is so fragile. The secret is to brush each layer with melted butter. The end result was absolutely sensational and the fragrance quite addictive. The aroma of the truffle paired perfectly with the slight mushroom aroma of Brie. We tried pairing with different wines, whilst a Petit Verdot had a truffle nose we decided that the best wine was a wild Chenin. I recommend pairing with the Vincent Careme Chenin brut, an organic sparkling wine from Vouvray in the Loire. Please click here to view the recipe on my website.

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We will be getting some fresh Autumn truffles in the next few weeks, do let me know if you would like more information.

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To celebrate the completion of the upgrading of the Gardens Shopping centre, which now looks so bright and airy, there will be a Craft beer Festival next week from Wednesday to Saturday where you can taste interesting beers, listen to some music and try some of our cheeses and other treats.

I hope you have a great weekend and look forward to seeing you again soon.

This weekend I shall be following with great interest our S African swimmers in the second round of the Fina Swimming World Cup which is being held at Chartres near Paris. Let’s hope that our medal winning trio will continue to dominate and make us very proud of their achievements. If you are travelling with the swimmers hopefully you will have time for some sightseeing as Chartres is the home of a magnificent, medieval Cathedral with the inimical “Bleu de Chartres” blue stained glass windows. There is even a cheese shop close to the cathedral called the St Suzanne Farm with a wide range of artisanal cheeses.

Did you know that France is the largest consumer of cheese per capita in Europe (25.9kg per person) beating Iceland and Finland into 2nd and 3rd place? No wonder the French have so many cheeses.

Back home in Cape Town we also have a wide range of cheeses for your enjoyment. This week we have received a new cheese – a Vacherousse – a creamy cheese made in the Jura with a light orange crust. The flavour is delicate with a slight after-tang. Do come in and taste it.

In Cape Town we have received a small stock of Black olives flavoured with Provençal herbs. We have also received a new stock of the French Sauce tartare and béarnaise.

In our meat section we are receiving during the day tomorrow some Rillettes du Mans, pork shredded meat made with the traditional recipe from the town of Mans. Our saucisson sec this week includes flavours of Beaufort cheese and Beaujolais. Please do not hesitate to email me if you wish to get more information on any particular product.

I had the privilege to drive out into the country on Woman’s Day and watch “Evita’ perform a witty and perceptive show. I am always amazed to see how Darling has developed over the last 20 years, with lots of great wines being produced in the area and plenty of interesting shops and restaurant. I am sure this is as a result of Pieter Dirk Uys hard work developing the train station into a destination theatre and his support for the development of the local community.

Whilst travelling around the West Coast area I noticed the springtime vygies and daisies are beginning to peek their faces out of their deep winter sleep and to bask in the new warmth of the sun. There is a promise that winter will finally end and summer will return.

Johannesburg has also had glorious weather since the long weekend and it’s set to continue this weekend. Sunshine, azure skies, no clouds or wind and temps in the low to mid 20’s. There is a promise that winter will finally end and summer will return.

The launch of our taster cheese platters last weekend at Patisserie de Paris / French Market Johannesburg was a great success and definitely the way to go if you want to experience our French cheeses. We will change the cheeses on the 3 platters monthly, so there’s always a reason to return. The platters are the Debutante (3 cheeses); the Gourmand (6 cheeses) and Le Pique-Nique (3 cheeses and 2 pates.) All accompanied by a basket of sliced baguette and Cape olives, gherkins, green fig conserve and raw walnuts.

The menu of Patisserie de Paris continues to expand. From this weekend, Paul has added two new offerings: Asian Pulled Pork Wrap. Slow roasted pork shoulder marinated with char siu sauce and wrapped with an exotic spicy Asian slaw. Le Burger deluxe. 200g meat patty topped with green fig conserve and a slice of camembert, served on a baked in-house brioche bun with lime & coriander hummus & rocket . Served with frites and a side salad. Come along and enjoy a delicious meal in the sun.

To make the salads interesting and appetising I like to try out different sauces and ingredients. With my cheeses, especially the Blue cheeses, I can create some wonderfully flavoured dressings. In this week’s recipe I made a creamy salad dressing by combining buttermilk, olive oil, vinegar and the unpasteurised Fourme d’Ambert. This raw milk, blue cheese which has been made around the town of Ambert for thousands of years, has a subtle but distinctive flavour, neither acid nor overpowering. This salad can be served as a very light meal or starter or can be accompanied by grilled, free range chicken breasts for a more substantial meal. I recommend pairing this salad with a subtle white wine such as a Chablis from William Fevre. Click on my recipes page to view the recipe (and all the previous ones) .

Women’s Day is approaching and we have been given an extra day off to celebrate. For many this is a time for us to remember the important role that women played in challenging the Pass laws and other key actions that led us along the path to a Democratic land. There is also a famous “woman” whom I admire hugely, Evita Bezuidenhout, who poked fun at the politicians and through her perceptive satire helped us to overcome our fear. This afternoon I had the pleasure of watching Evita’s creator, Pieter-Dirk Uys, teaching a group of young people how to cope with the challenges they face and to take control of their future. The show was being filmed as part of a documentary on Pieter’s work and will be released in February.

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This weekend promises lots of sunshine in Cape Town especially on Sunday, perfect weather for a picnic. A great way to celebrate Women’s Day would be visiting the countryside with a picnic basket full of French cheese, pates, cornichons, baguettes and a bottle of champagne. If you enjoy Pieter’s work as much as I do then I recommend that you book for his special show in the afternoon on Womens day at Evita se Perron in Darling.

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This weekend also promises lots of warm sunshine in Johannesburg, perfect weather for a meal outdoors. At Patisserie de Paris Paul is launching delicious French cheese taster platters on his new menu. Each platter is accompanied by slices of the Patisserie’s famous baguette, cornichons (gherkins) and olives. There are 3 different platters.

The first platter “La Debutante” a first timer’s taster (50g slices) of gentle flavoured cheeses includes our creamy Brie Maubert made in the Vosges, Bleu d’Auvergne a creamy blue from the heart of France and some Tomme noir de Pyrenees, a firm textured, fresh flavoured cheese from the Pyrenees.

The second platter “Gourmande” is for the a lover of original French cheeses with plenty of flavour, it includes tasters (50g slices) of Gold medal winner Brie de Meaux; Tomme de Savoie, a subtly flavoured, firm textured Alpine cheese; Delice a triple cream cheese which is quite addictive; Reblochon a small cheese with a creamy centre and delicious smell of barnyards; Comte Vert a firm textured, unpasteurised cheese from the Jura redolent of hay and alpine flowers; and Bleu d’Auvergne.

The third platter is “Le pique-nique” a delicious combination of French cheese and pates tasters (50g slices) with slices of Brie Maubert, Tomme noir des Pyrenees, Fourme d’Ambert a subtle, raw milk blue cheese from Auvergne; Pate de Campagne, this is a coarse textured French country pate with pork and herbs; and Mousse de Canard a smooth textured pure duck liver mousse.

I suggest you book your table to enjoy these lovely platters with your friends.

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We received a large stock of cheese from Paris this morning and all our favourites are back, Cantal entre Deux, Bleu D Auvergne, Roquefort, Brie Maubert, baby Camemberts, Tomme Noir des Pyrenees to name just a few. Some time Friday afternoon we will receive a few saucisson sec made with Beaufort cheese and Beaujolais wine.

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Emmental is one of those versatile cheeses that can be eaten by itself or melted into a dish. It is produced in several countries in Europe however the biggest producer is France. Our Emmental is made in Alsace, it is dense in texture and has lots of flavour. I find when talking to Mum’s in my shop that one of their challenges is to make a family supper dish that children and adults can equally enjoy. In this week’s recipe I have taken a simple dish, which could be described as meat balls in a tomato sauce with pasta and made it more exciting by enclosing a chunk of Emmental inside the meat balls and rolling the balls in Herbes de Provence. The Herbes make a flavoursome crust and the cheese melts and oozes out of the meat when cut open. The homemade tomato sauce is really easy and tastes so much better than the ones in the shops. I used penne pasta however you can use any of the harder pasta types such as rigatone. I recommend pairing this dish with the St Cosme Cotes du Rhone, a spicy shiraz. Click here to view the recipe on my website.

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Do note that we will be open on the public holiday on Monday from 9 to 2 pm.